# How to repair cracked wrappers



## mrnuke (Aug 24, 2013)

*The problem
*It happened again. I got a cigar order that was shipped unprotected. As I opened the box, I picked up a cigar, which I recognized as one I had wanted to try for a while. Well, that stick had a terrible transit experience, as evidenced by a large oblique tear in the wrapper. There was no way to pull the band over and hope all goes well. I removed the bands to take a closer look at the damage.

The tear was going all the way across. I put the stick in 65% RH for a couple of days, before removing the cellophane and letting it sit for another few days. Today the stick felt pliable, with any signs of brittleness gone. Most repair guides I've seen tend to state that just glueing the wrapper to the binder should fix the problem. This only prevents the wrapper from falling off, but does not solve the draw problems introduced by the crack. For this, we need a piece of wrapper leaf.















*The proposed solution
*We can, with a bit of care, get the wrapper we need by disassembling the cap. Knowing the cigar was rehydrated, and no longer brittle, I cut the cap off without fear of further damage. I then removed any binder and filler left. Now it was time to be generous with a spray bottle of distilled water. The point is to dissolve the existing glue and unravel the cap. It's shocking just how much wrapper can be recovered from the cap. I placed the recovered wrapper on a moist piece of paper. I then prepared my liquid pectin by placing it in a little jar.



























The idea is to cover the entire tear with one continuous piece of wrapper. I like to lightly dip my forefinger in the pectin. A significant amount of pectin remains attached to my finger, which I then gently spread over the cigar, around the tear. I then try to estimate how much wrapper I need, and tear a large enough piece from the wrapper recovered from the cap. Now comes the tricky part. The idea is to stretch the leaf over the tear and make sure it is properly glued. I cannot tell you how to do this, but the first time I tried it, it felt natural and easy to do.

*The result
*During the entire procedure, I did not use any tools, not even a brush. Everything was done with the fingers. Although I could not focus on both the repair, and taking pictures, I can show you the final result.















*Final thoughts*
After the procedure, I like to wait a few minutes for the pectin to solidify. The added wrapper can still be wet as long as the pectin has settled. From this point, the stick is ready to be smoked or to go back in the humidor.


The freshly applied leaf will look darker than the rest of the wrapper. This is normal as the leaf was (hopefully) soaked in water during the disassembly of the cap. After a few minutes, the leaf will dry and take the same color as the rest of the wrapper. If it was applied and stretched properly, it will barely be noticeable. 
Removing the binder and filler from the cap is a little more difficult on torpedoes. I use a small plier to remove small pieces of the filler until the whole thing comes out. 
You may encounter a cigar with such poor construction, that the cap offers no useful tobacco, either because it is damaged or poorly applied. In this case, you would not be able to fix it with its own wrapper. However, if this is the case, the cigar is of such low quality that using the wrapper from a different stick is actually an upgrade.
You can reapply the band by using a very small amount of pectin to glue the band to itself, while being careful not to glue the band to the wrapper. 

The two cigars on the left are "upgrades", and the two on the right are normal repairs. Notice how, other than the missing caps, it is not immediately obvious that the sticks on the right have been repaired.


----------



## Msass (Aug 22, 2013)

Awesome,b I will give the a try, one of my ligas has a crack, thanks


----------



## Cigars&GTRs (Jul 21, 2013)

Excellent guide sir. Perhaps the mods can consider making this a sticky?


----------



## GrouchyDog (Mar 12, 2013)

What a great post - THANKS! I have a MF Le Bijou 1922 with a couple of abuse cracks, I haven't really been sure what to do about it.


----------



## Hiroshiro (Sep 22, 2013)

Thats pretty Genius. Must try it! Maybe make a video of you doing the process


----------



## madmarvcr (Jun 1, 2013)

very nice! I will give this a try next time. In the past, i would just pectin over the crack


----------



## mrnuke (Aug 24, 2013)

Hiroshiro said:


> Thats pretty Genius. Must try it! Maybe make a video of you doing the process


I'm not too good with a video camera, or in front of it for that matter, but if a brother in Houston has the patience to film me fixing wrappers, I'd me more than happy to.



GrouchyDog said:


> What a great post - THANKS! I have a MF Le Bijou 1922 with a couple of abuse cracks, I haven't really been sure what to do about it.


It's pretty simple to use this method. Just make sure you have a couple of lamps to give you good light. After fixing, I also like to cover the head with my palm and suck on the foot. If I don't get a ton of resistance, I know there is a spot I missed. Don't blow, as that may expand innocent cracks.

I'm smoking one of the "upgrades" right now. It seems to be holding up well. The Don Rafael, I smoked right after taking the pictures. The added leaf dried while I was smoking it, yet it also held up well.



Cigars>Rs said:


> Excellent guide sir. Perhaps the mods can consider making this a sticky?


I'm happy to serve.


----------



## sullen (Sep 10, 2013)

Good post, gelatin works too from what i've read.


----------



## madbricky (Mar 29, 2013)

Thats the standard protocol with exception of using powdered pectin for its more gelatinous form when mixed. Add a scraper window razor blade and tweezers for those of us with big fingers. You can also rob the foot of the smoke for leaf as it gets toasted in the lighting anyway. Good job young man, more people should know the handicrafts of cigars. There are many of us that even swap wrappers on everyday smokes for added curiosity and enjoyment. Some maduro cigars have such awful wrappers that changing them out with a Habano, etc, can change things greatly


----------



## mrnuke (Aug 24, 2013)

When you take them in, give them shelter, and heal their wounds, they will treat you with the same love you treat them. It's a great feeling to receive love from a cigar that looked lost and unsmokeable. It's difficult now to imagine the moments of "rage" I had in the past because of broken wrappers.

I actually have some powdered pectin as well. My first ever repair attempt was with the powdered stuff. However, since I can't seem to properly dissolve it. I always get some granules left, and they give the appended wrapper a grainy texture. I also found that the liquid pectin has a much less pronounced sour taste, although I can't detect any change in favour of the burning cigar with either type of pectin.


----------



## Tobias Lutz (Feb 18, 2013)

Great post, Alex! Thanks for taking the time to explain the entire process and provide all the images. Very useful stuff.


----------



## Archun (Feb 8, 2012)

Excellent post, great help! I'm gonna try it with some cigars I have with cracked wrappers.
THANKS!


----------



## Arizona Dave (Nov 5, 2012)

Doesn't the water need to be heated in order for the Pectin to dissolve??? It might stop the grainy issues.........


----------



## egoo33 (Jul 21, 2013)

Great Post added to my cigars book marks folder


----------



## Horsefeathers (Jul 26, 2013)

I've got a stick that's in need of repair right now. This is an excellent guide with most excellent timing!


----------



## Hiroshiro (Sep 22, 2013)

this needs a good pinning!


----------



## KLMCCOY (Aug 4, 2008)

Great post. Glad to see someone else sharing this trick. I save caps from cigars I smoke frequently and have similar wrappers to what I favor for these repairs. That way if I change my mind about what I feel like enjoying at the time, I don't have an open capped cigar waiting for its turn. Any thoughts if it matters though, a clipped cigar in the humidor?


----------



## Arizona Dave (Nov 5, 2012)

Anyone can get the leaves here: Whole Tobacco Leaves by the Pound, Buy Tobacco Leaf, Bulk Tobacco, Fronto Leaf, Cigar Wrappers, Binders, and Fillers


----------



## Nature (Jul 30, 2012)

This works great!
*Thank you* for the instructional.
I never thought to obtain a wrapper patch from under the cap.

I had a cigar with a crack about 1/3 the way around close to the head.
I cut the cap as I would prior to smoking. With a little effort and moistening of the cap, I was able to unravel a surprisingly large piece of wrapper within the cap.


A few exceptions in my procedure. I didn't have any pectin, and I didn't want to run to the store.
What I found that worked well was cornstarch. Most people already have cornstarch in their pantries.

I mixed up my concoction as follows:

1/4 teaspoon cornstarch
1 tablespoon water


I placed these in a microwave safe bowl and mixed. It will result in a milky white liquid.


I then microwaved for 30 seconds and stirred. This should result in a semi-clear, translucent gel.


The other minor change I did was to apply the cornstarch gel to the _patch_ instead of the cigar using the tip of my finger as described above. I then applied and smoothed the patch over the crack. The cornstarch gel dries clear. Can't hardly tell it was even repaired!


----------



## pippin925 (Jan 3, 2013)

Excellent tutorial! Thanks :thumb:


----------



## Bloodwood (Sep 21, 2013)

Great post. I will keep this in mind.


----------



## OnePyroTec (Dec 11, 1997)

To bad these are not made any longer. It has a new bottle & brush filled with real cigar glue, a couple dozen sheets of 1" x 2" Natural & Maduro wrapper, & full instructions.


----------

